


The Tunnel (Suite)

by asherall



Category: The Tunnel - William H. Gass
Genre: Music
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-17
Updated: 2020-06-17
Packaged: 2021-03-03 23:41:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,117
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24774079
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/asherall/pseuds/asherall
Summary: An (unfinished) collection of pieces for orchestra and synthesizers based off of The Tunnel. Originally for school.





	The Tunnel (Suite)

[audio file](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1DeUKXAaw8Ujg_aW74JnpuH8rr9uiEymE/view?usp=sharing)

#  **1\. Life in a Chair**

The first part begins with the German national anthem, as the book has a heavy emphasis on Germany (particularly in regards to Hitler). However, the anthem does not repeat again, as the Kohler (the narrator) frequently remarks that there is nothing genuinely German about him.

The piece then goes on to a slow, slogging part featuring the low winds and strings. The repetitiveness of one of the parts represents how he has spent his recent life without many changes (staying in a chair), and the overall depressed tone of the book.

In this section, the flute represents the girls he has had affairs with. He frequently talks about them throughout the book.

The oboe is supposed to be in contrast to the rest of the piece in a rather ‘excited’ way, as it represents his former history teacher who he adores so much.

This oboe is replaced with trumpets, french horn, and trombones to represent his colleagues. He has extreme distaste for most of them, so they do not ‘fit in’ with the rest of the piece. 

The clarinet briefly enters in a flurry, representing his wife, who is mentioned only in bits and pieces throughout this part of the book. Her part clashes with the other instruments, representing how much the narrator dislikes her.

The piece ends with sudden ‘gunshots’, just how the first section of the book (as well as many others) ended quite abruptly.

_The arrangement of Das Kaiserlied / Deutschland was based on_ [ _Linder’s arrangement_ ](https://imslp.org/wiki/Das_Kaiserlied,_Hob.XXVIa:43_\(Haydn,_Joseph\)).

#  **2\. References** (1:53)

The piece begins with a flurry of instruments that, overall, represent the many excuses that he (as a professor) has received from students.

As most of this section of the book reflected on people/writers he was inspired by (and jumps between these writers without much rhyme or reason), the next segment of the piece jumps between excerpts of pieces written by composers who I have drawn inspiration from. These pieces were (in this order)(links are to scores referenced):

  1. [Rhapsody in Blue (Gershwin)](https://imslp.org/wiki/Rhapsody_in_Blue_\(Gershwin%2C_George\))
  2. [Symphony no. 9, movement IV (Dvorak)](https://imslp.org/wiki/Symphony_No.9%2C_Op.95_\(Dvo%C5%99%C3%A1k%2C_Anton%C3%ADn\))
  3. [Slavonic March (Tchaikovsky)](https://imslp.org/wiki/Slavonic_March%2C_Op.31_\(Tchaikovsky%2C_Pyotr\))
  4. [Danse Macabre (Saint-Saens)](https://imslp.org/wiki/Danse_macabre%2C_Op.40_\(Saint-Sa%C3%ABns%2C_Camille\))
  5. [Prelude no. 1 in C (Bach)](https://imslp.org/wiki/Das_wohltemperierte_Klavier_I%2C_BWV_846-869_\(Bach%2C_Johann_Sebastian\))
  6. [Czech Suite movement V (Dvorak)](https://imslp.org/wiki/Czech_Suite%2C_Op.39_\(Dvo%C5%99%C3%A1k%2C_Anton%C3%ADn\))
  7. Symphony no. 9, movement IV (Dvorak)
  8. The Ballad of Sweeney Todd (Sondheim) (Not sure where I got the score from)
  9. [1812 Overture (Tchaikovsky)](https://imslp.org/wiki/1812_Overture%2C_Op.49_\(Tchaikovsky%2C_Pyotr\))
  10. [The Nutcracker (suite) (Tchaikovsky)](https://imslp.org/wiki/The_Nutcracker_\(suite\)%2C_Op.71a_\(Tchaikovsky%2C_Pyotr\))
  11. [Rite of Spring (Stravinsky)](https://imslp.org/wiki/The_Rite_of_Spring_\(Stravinsky%2C_Igor\))
  12. [Scheherazade (Rimsky-Korsakov)](https://imslp.org/wiki/Scheherazade%2C_Op.35_\(Rimsky-Korsakov%2C_Nikolay\))
  13. Slavonic March (Tchaikovsky)



Later continuations of pieces represent how the narrator occasionally jumps back to continue one train of thought. The number of pieces shows how he eventually loses track of the purpose of what he was writing (as these excerpts seem to continue for so long that they 'forget' the original purpose of this piece).

#  **3\. The Tunnel** (3:57)

This section takes the opening theme (Kohler; represented by slogging low winds & strings) and develops it into something that is more coherent than it first was; less drowsy than it first was. This represents how, upon beginning to dig the tunnel, Kohler’s writing becomes much more coherent. He has a purpose now - something to look forward to; something that excites him.

#  **4\. Mad Meg** _not written_

This piece is an elaboration of the theme presented by the oboe [in _Life in a Chair_ ], but in a much more grandiose way that represents how Kohler holds his history teacher [who he sometimes refers to as Mad Meg] in such high esteem.

[ He's a Pirate ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BuYf0taXoNw), by Klaus Badelt, is similar to the style in which this piece would be.

#  **5\. The Kohlers** (5:36)

The piece represents how their [the narrator & his wife] once-pleasant marriage devolved - at first due to them becoming more self-conscious; then due to their resentment for each other. The brief string section represents their two children - fine at first, but quickly fading out of the picture to show his dislike for them & their limited appearance throughout the book. This eventually ends on a bad note to show how their marriage seems to continue on a bad note.

Kohler is first represented by oboe, and is later represented by bassoon. Martha [his wife] is represented by clarinet.

#  **6\. The Curse of Colleagues** _not written_

This piece is a brass chorale with some bassoon, representing his colleagues and himself (respectively). The bassoon frequently clashes with the brass, and may be interpreted as arguing with the brass at times - representing his distaste for his colleagues & his arguments with them. The french horn, however, represents one of his colleagues who he holds less distaste for, so the french horn and bassoon occasionally go together.

#  **7\. Childhood** _not written_

Similar to pieces by Rachmaninoff - think [ Isle of the Dead ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dbbtmskCRUY) or [ Piano Concerto no. 2 ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yJpJ8REjvqo). Sad. Depressing. Represent how his childhood was full of disappointments; his mother was an alcoholic. An awkward part that represents the Sunday drive that his father would randomly take the family on. The part that resembles Happy Birthday shows the extreme disappointment faced when his mother planned a surprise birthday party, yet forgot to send out invitations (many of which were to people who bullied him; he didn’t seem to have many [or any] friends) (amongst other problems).

#  **8\. Affairs** _not written_

The flute once again represents the girls he has had affairs with; the bassoon represents Kohler. It’s a duet that begins with fluff, but ends in disappointment & anger [mainly reflected by the bassoon] to represent how his affairs ended.

#  **9\. The PdP** (6:59) _abbreviated version_

The PdP, or the Party of the Disappointed People, is a fictional political party which Kohler has created propaganda for and frequently references. This section is named after the PdP because the end of the piece is supposed to be disappointing.

This (abbreviated version) represents how it begins to seem like there might be a light at the end of the tunnel (or so to speak); the cymbal crash represents how the ending is abrupt and disappointing.

The spoken part is taken directly from the text (pg. 649). It is the only section of dialogue in the entire book (which is why it was used in this version of this piece). (Her voice was also described to be calm/monotone; the lack of emotion was on purpose).

(This section is abbreviated because it is unfinished; however, it is still fairly important to the piece.)

#  **Additional Notes**

  * Some choices in instrumentation / melody / parts / etc. were purely musical choices; having little or nothing to do with the book.
  * This piece is not as polished as it could be. While this does represent some of the unpolishedness of the book, that is purely coincidental.
  * All parts labelled _not written_ were incomplete (therefore not included) by the time this was turned in.




End file.
